Comeback Special: Grand Prix Masters series to return this fall

While the irony of a comeback for a racing series of retired drivers themselves making a comeback has not escaped us, we're actually excited by the prospect of the Grand Prix Masters resuming its race schedule.

The racing league ran a few races back in 2005-2006, when big names like Nigel Mansell and Emerson Fittipaldi – both of which hold F1 and CART titles – competed against each other and other retired drivers in their 40s, 50s and 60s on identical machinery. The series folded, however, after running only three races. A group of new investors, however, has purchased the fleet of 15 cars – specially built by Delta Motorsport based on Reynard 2000-spec Champ Cars powered by 650-hp Cosworth-based 3.5-liter V8s – and is planning on re-launching the series in September or October 2008, apparently under the modified F1 Masters name. Among the drivers interested is Jacques Villeneuve, who is likewise a CART and F1 champ, but at 37 is substantially younger than those who raced in the previous GP Masters series and far more recently retired (or was forced into retirement) from racing. But the prospect of seeing Villeneuve going head-to-head with drivers of different eras has us fantasizing on dream-team draft levels.